Water had nothing to do with cleanliness
Believe it or not, Louis XIV is suspected to have only taken a grand total of just three baths in his entire lifetime. That’s rather hard to imagine, but doesn’t come as a surprise, especially given what we already know about their bathing practices.
People would quite often wash their hands, face and feet, but completely submerging themselves in water came few and far between. Alongside full submersion, bathing completely undressed was considered unhealthy and immodest.
